iPhone 4 Reception Issue: Does it effect you?

**Jeremy** · 06-25-2010, 10:00 AM

Sound off... Personally I do not have the issue and trust me I've tried to recreate it various times. I'm in a very good coverage area so that may have something to do with it.

Curious to see how many of you have or do not have the issue.

**RIPNHL2005** · 06-25-2010, 10:01 AM

I still don't even know. Last night I was sitting with the phone still and watched the coverage bars go from 5 bars to 1 bar without even touching it which leads me to believe this is a software bug IN ADDITION to antenna touching issue, which I can replicate sometimes, but not all!
I'm confused!!! LOL

**bjames2785** · 06-25-2010, 10:25 AM

i have had my iPhone 4 for just over 24 hrs and i have yet to drop below 3 bars.

SN: i am 6'10" as you can imagine i have really huge hands. that being said i don't have much of a choice but to hold it by the metal band. i'm just happy i don't have the signal issue b/c i'd be screwed.

**ghostface147** · 06-25-2010, 10:27 AM

Not really. Sometimes I can reproduce the issue, most of the time I can't. I also know that my signal fluctuates a couple of bars normally, so that could be into play. At my apt, I go from 1-5 bars regularly on my old iPhones, normally around 3 or 4 bars. I don't have signal loss or massive data slowdowns. In other words, no, I am not affected by it where it affects my ability to use the phone.

**cardfan** · 06-25-2010, 10:37 AM

I notice significantly better 3G speeds. Conversations are clearer.

No reception issues.

And yeah, i'll add that i see bar fluctuation in house. But i saw that in my other iphones too, the 3G and 3GS. It's nothing new.

**pnut78** · 06-25-2010, 10:39 AM

THe stupid Antenna issue affects me all the time, even surfing because I hold the phone in my left hand and the palm of my hand always makes the connection

**Casper TFG** · 06-25-2010, 10:40 AM

Is reception improved?

More bars than side by side test of 3GS ?

I have GRPS drop off at my house on my 3GS.. o2, London, UK

If I could have solid GPRS that WOULD be a plus!

EDGE a bonus
3G amazing

**JustinHorn** · 06-25-2010, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Jeremy Sikora

I'm in a very good coverage area so that may have something to do with it.

This is my guess. One spot in my house I can't get it to drop no matter how I hold it. Also, went out last night and it worked fine, never dropped below 5.

But almost every other place in my house I get a drop to 1 bar!

John Gruber also is thinking this could be the issue:

My best guess at this point is that the issue pops up in areas with spotty 3G coverage. With nothing covering the antenna, the improved reception of the iPhone 4 gives you more bars, maybe even up to 5. But when you cover the antenna in these areas with poor coverage, the phone is unable to get a strong signal. I’ve seen several reports from people who can reproduce the problem, but only from certain locations.

**Sentenial** · 06-25-2010, 11:17 AM

I do experience the signal loss, but I have to try really hard to recreate it. And even so, no dropped calls or loss of data..
So I'm happy.
No yellow spots either!

**Casper TFG** · 06-25-2010, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Justin

But almost every other place in my house I get a drop to 1 bar!

As a 3GS desperado with zero 3G reception at home - I always switch off 3G

Have you tried that? Just to get calls via GPRS?

**ykmb** · 06-25-2010, 11:23 AM

All it takes is a finger bridging the two antenna and bars drop. Not as dramatic outdoors in good coverage, but indoors with weak coverage it's frightening.

I've got the bumper which helps when cradled loosely, but if held tightly the same occurs.

**bconley007** · 06-25-2010, 11:30 AM

no reception issues in northern Delaware...i have tried holding the phone every which way and my signal does not drop, anywhere

**Libuff** · 06-25-2010, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by ykmb

I've got the bumper which helps when cradled loosely, but if held tightly the same occurs.

so it would appear then, thats its not a electrical issue... because i've also tried to isolate the connection by utilizing scotch tape, and no better...

**owenrg** · 06-25-2010, 11:45 AM

I'm living in NE Oklahoma and as you can imagine it's not a huge usage area. I'm on 3G and i made about 6 calls yesterday, every single one was dropped. I am left handed and so that may be part of my problem

the world is out to get us lefties!

I am happy with the phone. I had a 3G before and this one blows it out of the water. I am waiting for a jail break to get some of the features i'm use to having back.

**big9erfan** · 06-25-2010, 11:48 AM

Sometimes I can replicate this issue multiple times in a row...other times, not for my life.

I can NEVER replicate it holding the phone in my right hand, always in my left, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. My co-worker couldn't replicate it for the first day, but I could ( using his phone ), now he can too. My gf can replicate it as well, even with a case. I am trying to train her to hold it with her right hand.

**jsntrenkler** · 06-25-2010, 12:00 PM

I have a bumper on mine, so naturally I am not experiencing any issues.

**JustinHorn** · 06-25-2010, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by Casper TFG

As a 3GS desperado with zero 3G reception at home - I always switch off 3G

Have you tried that? Just to get calls via GPRS?

Signal loss happens on EDGE and 3G, no way to force GPRS mode as far as I know.

Originally Posted by Libuff

so it would appear then, thats its not a electrical issue... because i've also tried to isolate the connection by utilizing scotch tape, and no better...

Scotch tape isn't going to break the connection in this case. I even used electrical tape and it didn't work and then I tried with a latex glove.

From feedback I've got from some smart people, antennas work in a very different way then a regular wire would. So it's not so much the direct contact of the skin, but the proximity of the skin to the gap. Seems some current or something is still able to transfer with the tape or whatever on there.

Originally Posted by jsntrenkler

I have a bumper on mine, so naturally I am not experiencing any issues.

Even using a bumper I still dropped signal, but from 5 to 3 instead of 5 to 1. The only thing that worked 100% for me was holding it with an ove glove. It's pretty thick and basically held my hand far enough away from the antenna to not cause the same interference.

**Hack-My-i** · 06-25-2010, 12:39 PM

i dont think its an issue cause i been dropping calls ever since i switched to ATT period! so its pretty normal to me...

**Libuff** · 06-25-2010, 12:42 PM

i can duplicate your experience Justin...

Latex glove (i actually used nitrile, no diff) = signal problem occured as expected.
Scotch Tape = signal problem occured as expected.
Electrical Tape = signal problem occured as expected.
Griffin case (similar to bumper w/ plastic back) = extremely diminished issues... 5>4, not 5>0 bars.

yes you are right... what i think is happening, im no expert, but since our cell frequencies are really high... the wave of the signal is quite short, thus the antenna is actually using a very small amount of the metal ring.. i believe the signal is being repropigated back into the phone, thus no signal... if the base of the antenna is at the lower left black seperator, than blocking the lower portion of the antenna would cause the most exaggerated results. Probably more exaggerated than we're used to, since were actually TOUCHING the antenna, instead of being separated by a plastic shell.

**OTACORB** · 06-25-2010, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Libuff

i can duplicate your experience Justin...

Latex glove (i actually used nitrile, no diff) = signal problem occured as expected.
Scotch Tape = signal problem occured as expected.
Electrical Tape = signal problem occured as expected.
Griffin case (similar to bumper w/ plastic back) = extremely diminished issues... 5>4, not 5>0 bars.

yes you are right... what i think is happening, im no expert, but since our cell frequencies are really high... the wave of the signal is quite short, thus the antenna is actually using a very small amount of the metal ring.. i believe the signal is being repropigated back into the phone, thus no signal... if the base of the antenna is at the lower left black seperator, than blocking the lower portion of the antenna would cause the most exaggerated results. Probably more exaggerated than we're used to, since were actually TOUCHING the antenna, instead of being separated by a plastic shell.

Exactly, I think everyone can replicate the issue. Fortunately most are in an area where their signal is strong enough that it simply doesn't drop out far enough to cause them to have dropped calls if it drops at all. When I am at my office with the tower right down the road, I can't get the signal to drop no matter how I hold the phone. 1.7 miles away at my home, I can replicate it very easily because I am further away from the tower.

If you are always in an area where you will have a rock solid signal this likely won't be a problem, however there are many areas that this isn't the case and this will be a problem. The only solution now is the bumper or case. I had planned to do the bumper anyway.

It will be interesting to see how this shakes out! But a poll asking rather you have the issue or not is pretty worthless and unless everyone is testing under the same condition at the same distance from the tower it doesn't mean much.

**Duvi** · 06-25-2010, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hack-My-I

i dont think its an issue cause i been dropping calls ever since i switched to ATT period! so its pretty normal to me...

But you had to have the iPhone

No phone will ever make me tolerate bad reception,
EVER!

**JustinHorn** · 06-25-2010, 06:01 PM

What do you guess make of this?

This is what I ran into yesterday when testing the bumper case.

**slalomskie** · 06-25-2010, 08:28 PM

Come on Obama get in here with a government inquiry call a special session and ask Steve Jobs to come to the White House and discuss this problem. This is a problem of national concern.

**Fausty82** · 06-25-2010, 08:38 PM

I haven't had any issue with reception, signal strength or dropped calls whatsoever. I live in a strong 3G area (Phoenix), and my iPhone 4 has behaved flawlessly... as has my daughter's and her husband's 3GS iPhones.

It also does not seem to be an issue with how I hold the phone... no case (yet), still no problem.